Gastro cases on the rise

Gastrointestinal illness has increased in adults and children since late April, and health officials have identified a new virus cause among lab samples – rotavirus.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness reported on Monday that for the diarrhoeal samples tested, three samples from late May and early June showed the presence of rotavirus, in addition to the bacterial foodborne pathogens that have been previously identified.

The uptick in cases in persons older than five years moved from 34 at the end of April, to 76 cases in the week ending May 11. Since then, weekly numbers have been falling, most recently to 46 cases in the week ending June 15, but are still above the alert threshold. At this time of the year, the alert level for this age group is fewer than eight cases.

In children under five years old, the number of cases moved from eight for the week ending April 27, to 27 cases in the week ending May 18.

Rotavirus is a very contagious agent spread by contact with objects or persons contaminated with infected stool. Vomiting was a prominent symptom for many persons, according to health authorities.

Members of the public are urged to employ proper hand hygiene methods such as washing their hands regularly, especially before eating, and to continue to be cautious when purchasing ready-to-eat food items.

(BGIS)